Big Sister's Responsibility
by GreatSnapper
Summary: After the attempted hijacking of the Misaka network, and the inadvertent involvement of Misaka 10032, Mikoto sees danger on all sides. With the threats piling up, Mikoto has to decide just how far she'll go to protect her sisters from those that see them as nothing more than tools. But Academy City is not kind to those that look beneath its harmless facade.
1. Rat

The sound of sneakers smacking against concrete echoed off the walls, audible over the thunderous drumbeat of her heart and her ragged gasps as she sucked in air. Mikoto could feel her pursuers getting closer as she rounded a bend in the concrete hallway, taking cover behind a stack of metal crates covered with yellow warning labels, hoping to get a moment to catch her breath. She winced as she knelt down, trying to avoid putting too much pressure on her left leg. Blood leaked from a deep gash in her thigh, dripping onto the floor as she flattened herself against the crates, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She just hoped her pursuers didn't notice the trail of blood she had left in her wake. A moment passed and she heard shouting down the corridor. Clearly that had been a bit too much to ask.

"Tch..." Mikoto took off again, doing her best to ignore the pain in her leg. Even she wasn't used to exerting herself to this degree for so long, but she had no one but herself to blame for that; she had tried to finish the fight quickly, without first understanding her opponents or their abilities. She'd taken several hits before she was even aware her attacks had failed, and now she was in dire straits. Her head was swimming, and she was starting to lose focus. Hopefully it was from overuse of her ability, rather than blood loss. She didn't relish the thought of passing out at a time like this.

_If a clone of yourself suddenly appeared in front of you... what would you do?_

The air around her shimmered, and Mikoto bit off a curse as she twisted on her good foot just in time to avoid a blast of pressurized air. It slammed into the wall behind her with an ear-splitting shriek, gauging a large chunk out of the concrete. Mikoto turned just in time to see a girl at the opposite end of the corridor raising her hand, palm forward, before the air began to vibrate once again. She dropped to the floor, a bolt of electricity arcing from her bangs with a violent crack to strike the girl in the chest just as she was joined by a boy a few years her senior. The girl screamed before collapsing to the floor, twitching. Mikoto winced at the sound, but didn't have any time to feel sorry for the girl before her companion let out a cry and launched a wave of flame across the floor.

The flames flowed like a blazing river, washing over her hands and feet before she could get out of the way. She screamed, the flames turning her skin an angry red and the pain clouding her thoughts as she scrambled back to her feet. This was getting bad. She blinked back tears, trying to put some distance between herself and the pyrokinetic. Hadn't she already taken him out? She had a very clear recollection of hitting him square in the back with a bolt of lighting. Maybe she hadn't hit him as hard as she thought, or one of the other espers with him had some kind of healing ability. Either way, she needed to finish him quickly, or she was in trouble. A prolonged fight in her current state wasn't something she was going to win.

_I suppose... it would creep me out. I'd probably want it to disappear._

Sweat poured off of her as she darted down another corridor. She was nearly running on empty, but she couldn't stop now. The pyrokinetic was closing in, his heavy steps echoing off the walls. Just as she reached the end of the passage, the floor beneath her bucked and heaved, the concrete cracking and throwing her off her feet. Mikoto landed on her hands with a grimace, the burnt skin of her hands bleeding as it cracked and peeled.

The air was rent by a deafening crack as a fissure opened in the ground, racing towards her. A brief burst of magnetism pulled her up to the network of pipes above her just before the floor split apart and crumbled. Mikoto cast her senses about, trying to locate the esper responsible. Things were getting out of hand; she had assumed the pyrokinetic was the last one left, but it looked like there was an earth-based esper still lingering about somewhere. He must have kept his distance during the earlier confrontation, probably waiting for a good moment to strike. Mikoto struggled to recall what she knew about terrakinetics. All she could remember was that their power was greater the closer they were to the earth they were manipulating. For him to be able to do this much damage without even being able to see her, he had to be at least mid level four.

_Misaka has a manufactured body and a borrowed soul. Misaka is nothing but a lab rat that costs 180,000 yen._

The pyrokinetic rounded the corner and hurled a blast of fire at her head, forcing her to drop back to the ground. Flames blazed past her, and the acrid smell of burning hair filled her nostrils like poison. She twisted her body as she hit the shattered ground, narrowly avoiding another fireball. Pain tore through her back and she hissed as her skin erupted in angry blisters. The air around her began to heat up as the man prepared another attack. She launched several bolts of electricity at him, forcing him to fall back as he tried to avoid the strikes. Mikoto cursed as several of the flashes lanced past him. It was getting hard to control the current as the temperature increased, and she was already exhausted.

She leapt over another wave of flame, sprinting over the ruined floor towards her target. He stumbled back in surprise at the sudden aggressive tactic. Mikoto launched herself forward with a sudden burst of speed, burying her shoulder in his gut and sending them both tumbling to the ground. The heat around them began to dissipate as the flame user rolled on the floor, gasping for air. Mikoto rose painfully to her feet, preparing to launch an electric volley to incapacitate the man, when the ground once again shifted beneath her feet, separating her from her target. She stumbled, nearly falling again. By the time she had regained her footing, the man was on his feet again, brandishing white-hot flames in his hands as the rumble and cracking of stone filled the air.

"Damn, you're a lot tougher than you look," the man said, breathing heavily. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Looks like level five isn't just a fancy title."

Before Mikoto could respond, the fire in his hands stretched and twisted, reaching towards her and cracking at the air like whips. She hopped back, ducking and weaving to avoid the flames. The corridor made it difficult to get a good angle on her opponent, and the intensity of the flames distorted the air, making it hard to tell exactly where he was. The level of control he had was impressive as well; the flames raked across the floors and ceiling as he pushed her back, leaving scorch marks in their wake, but never dissipating. Mikoto briefly recalled the level three pyrokinetic Kuroko had tangled with during her first meeting with Uiharu and Saten. Compared to this guy, he had been nothing but a kid playing with matches.

_Would you be willing to provide us with a map of your DNA?_

Mikoto ducked and dodged, steadily losing ground as she looked for an opening. 'Dammit,' she thought, narrowly avoiding another lash, 'this guy really knows what he's doing. I'm too worn out to overpower his flames, and he's not leaving himself open at all. I need to come up with something else or I'm toast.'

The ground beneath her feet shifted again, and she threw herself backwards to avoid the eruption of stone. She nearly collided with another crate. An idea quickly formed in her mind and she grinned, hopping over the crate and ducking down behind it as another blast of flame passed overhead.

In an instant, Mikoto magnetized the crate, and with a flick of her wrist sent it hurtling down the corridor towards her opponent. The flames cut off and she heard his muffled curses as the heavy crate collided with his gut, sending him crashing to the ground. She was up and charging as he hit the ground, and was upon him before he could get his bearings back. His eyes widened in shock and fear as she barreled down on him. He threw up his hands in a panic, sending flames lashing out at her, but it was too late. Mikoto unleashed a static charge point-blank, sending the pyrokinetic into seizures before he fell unconscious.

_In the end... this loser was born to be killed by me._

Mikoto rose slowly, nursing her scorched hands and arms. His last attacks may have been desperate, but she hadn't been in much condition to fend them off. The results were a few more burns and a great deal of pain. She let out a few ragged breaths, trying to steady herself and stop her hands from shaking. The floor rumbled again, and she let grit her teeth, taking off down the unbroken hall. Looked like now wasn't the time to be licking her wounds.

"One more," she panted, reaching out with her power, trying to feel his presence, "Just need to find a way to nail him down."

The whole complex seemed to be shaking, but Mikoto paused, taking a moment to calm herself. She needed to focus if she was going to find him—racing around blindly wasn't going to get her anywhere. After a moment she was able to calm her breathing, reaching as far as she could with her ability. The ground shifted beneath her and she jumped to get out of the way of the breaking concrete, letting out a frustrated growl. The esper was clearly skilled, and on top of that, he appeared to be able to sense where she was as long as she was touching the ground. She needed time to be able to find him, and he didn't seem like he was going to give her the opportunity to focus. The tactic might have been admirable if it wasn't so damned annoying.

Even in the best of circumstances, using the electromagnetic waves that her body emitted to track someone in a structure made mostly of concrete was tricky, and exhausted as she was it was nearly impossible. Mikoto let out an aggravated cry, diving out of the way as a section of the wall collapsed where she had been standing. At this rate he'd be able to corner her, and she didn't have enough strength left to save herself if he decided to bring the corridor down on top of her. She needed a plan, and fast.

_Those girls too, lived their lives as best they could._

A rumbling filled the corridor, and cracks began to appear in the floor and walls. It felt like the whole facility was shifting beneath her feet. Mikoto took off as fast as her injured legs would let her. It looked like the terrakinetic had decided now was a good time to try to finish her. She was out of time; she needed to do something now.

A chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling, grazing her shoulder and sending her crashing to the floor. Mikoto stumbled back to her feet as the ground beneath her heaved, breaking apart as if trying to swallow her whole. She ducked down another corridor as the floor gave way and hugged the wall, gasping desperately for breath. Her whole body was shaking from exertion, and the world went dark as she wobbled, barely able to keep herself standing.

"This is so stupid!" she growled. "How am I even supposed to find this guy if I have to keep running away? I need a way to extend my range, but this damned building is made out of concrete!"

Mikoto wracked her brain for anything that might work, but she was having a hard time focusing. The pain from her cuts and burns was starting catch up with her, the adrenaline coursing through her veins no longer enough to hold it at bay. Her whole body was covered in a mixture of sweat and soot; her hair clung to her neck and face, and sweat was dripping into her eyes, obscuring her vision. She started as something cool dripped on her from above, the liquid soothing the burns on her neck, and she paused, looking up.

The pipes! Mikoto mentally berated herself for not thinking of it sooner. The pipes ran through the entire complex, running along the ceiling. Putting her weight on her uninjured leg, she leapt from the ground, using magnetism to pull herself up to the pipes. As soon as her hand made contact with the cool metal, she sent a burst of electricity through it. Even if she couldn't use the electromagnetic waves given off by her own body to find the esper, once she knew where he was, tracking him wouldn't be an issue. Espers each gave of a distinctive signal that was simple enough for her to recognize once she had felt it once, perhaps a side effect of their unique AIM fields.

The electric signal returned to her almost instantly, and her face twisted in a feral grin. "Found you!"

_I know we're both level fives, but... I had no idea your best move would be so pathetic._

He wasn't far, a few hallways down and on the other side of the wall. Mikoto took off, hoping to get to him before he realized she'd figured out his location. Now that she knew where to look, pinpointing his location was easy.

Unfortunately, it seemed he was paying more attention to her movements than she had hoped. As soon as she was close to striking distance, he took off, putting more distance between them. Under ideal conditions, Mikoto was almost certain she would have been able to run him down. As it was though, he was able to easily outpace her. After a few minutes of chasing, Mikoto stopped, gasping for air and doing her best not to fall to her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.

'Dammit!' she thought, tracking him as he stopped. The ground beneath her feet started to shake again and she staggered forward. 'If we can both tell where the other one is, but he can attack me outside line of sight, how am I supposed to beat him? I can't even catch up when he's moving!'

Mikoto took off once more and the terrakinetic followed suit. The instant he started moving, the ground stopped shaking. It looked like he could only use his ability against her when he wasn't moving, although he could clearly still tell where she was while he was running. Maybe using his ability on something he couldn't see took a great deal of concentration? Her leg gave out as she was considering this possibility, and Mikoto crashed painfully to the floor. Her opponent once again ceased his movement, and the ground trembled.

"Looks like I'm out of options," Mikoto grumbled, clambering back to her feet and reaching into her pocket, feeling for the familiar metal of her coins "I just hope I've got enough left in me for this."

_You've seen plenty of this city's true face. The inhuman actions carried out to create a level six. The human experiments using child errors. The use of a negotiator to trick you out of your DNA map._

Electricity arced across her arm as she raised her hand towards the wall, ignoring the ground cracking beneath her. He was straight ahead, three hallways down, about twenty meters. With one last burst of energy, she flicked the coin. There was a deafening roar and an explosion of blue and orange light filled her vision as she was thrown back against the opposite wall with a dull crunch. She'd never fired a railgun point blank before. Her vision went dark for a moment and all she could hear was an intense ringing in her ears. In a daze, Mikoto couldn't help but think the blast had killed her.

When the ringing finally stopped and she regained her sight, she realized the floor was no longer shaking. She picked herself up off the ground, gasping in pain. Her shorts were torn, and her shirt hung off her frame in rags. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring her vision and forcing her to cover her mouth with what was left of her shirt. It was several moments before the dust settled and she could make out the aftermath of her reckless attack.

There was a massive hole in the wall where her railgun had impacted, and the destruction continued through several more walls, casting plaster and concrete in its wake and carving a deep groove in the floor. Twisted rebar and sparking wires jutted from the wall where her coin had torn through the solid material, and Mikoto was seized by a brief moment of panic. The fact that she was no longer under attack meant her opponent had most likely been rendered incapable of using his ability. That meant he was either unconscious, severely injured, or...

"I think that will be enough for today, Misaka-san," a calm voice spoke from a speaker overhead.

Mikoto grimaced, the voice sending shivers down her spine. She turned and glared at a wall-mounted camera, watching with some satisfaction as it sparked and fizzled, smoke curling up from the ruined equipment. These experiments were tasteless enough without the added discomfort of being watched like a rat in a maze.

"I suppose next time we'll have to use some more durable insulation for the cameras," the voice spoke again. "It looks like the interference from your railgun was too much for them. It's remarkable any of the equipment in this place is still working, really, with the way you've been tearing around. I must say, I'm impressed, Misaka-san."

Mikoto couldn't suppress the shiver that passed through her body every time that voice spoke her name. It was cold and calculating, but at the same time always sounded as though it was observing something deeply amusing. It made her sick to her stomach just listening to the man.

"That terrakinetic," Mikoto asked between breaths. "Is he okay?"

_While it's true she has a kiddie taste that isn't suitable to her age, and..._

"Hm? Oh, yes. I imagine he'll be fine after a week or so in the hospital, though I imagine he'll walk with a limp for a while. Still, the damage is minimal compared to what it would have been had he taken the blast directly. I daresay there wouldn't be anything left of him if he had. You have impeccable aim, Misaka-san. To think you'd be able to fire a railgun shot at an opponent you couldn't even see and still miss him intentionally. Most impressive, Misaka-san. Quite well done."

_She's crude,_

Mikoto clenched her teeth, biting back the angry retort that bubbled to the surface. She hated these researchers. All they were interested in was advancing their studies, in finding the next step in the evolution of espers. They didn't give a damn about who got hurt in the process, as long as they got some promising results. But as much as she hated to admit it, she needed them right now. There was only so much she could do with the standard curriculum, and working on her own could only end in disaster. For now, she needed to play along. Just one more lab rat.

_Short tempered,_

"So are we done here, then?" She panted, trying not to sound as though she were about to keel over. "I still have some homework to do."

_Quick to pick fights,_

A chuckle sounded from the the speakers. "My, my, such a dedicated student you are, Misaka-san. It's no wonder you are the pride of Tokiwadai. Yes, I think that will be enough for today. You've given us quite the impressive display today; I can't wait to review your performance. In the meantime, why don't you come back up to the labs and we'll get you patched up. You took quite the beating there, after all."

_And on top of that, someone who won't admit she likes what she likes,_

Mikoto merely grunted, staggering towards the exit to the underground complex that had served as her arena. She just hoped none of her injuries would leave too much of a mark; she didn't relish the thought of having to explain herself to Kuroko.

_She's a troublesome big sister that would even throw her life away for Misaka._

* * *

"Really, Misaka-san, you push yourself too hard during these tests. You won't be doing anyone any good if you keel over in the street."

Mikoto winced as the doctor attending to her, a young woman with long, blond hair done up in a bun and a quiet, playful voice applied antiseptic to the burns on her back. "Hehe, guess I've never been that good at doing things halfwa—gah! That stings!" she hissed, the foul-smelling liquid stinging her wounds.

"I told you to hold still, Misaka-san," the doctor said with a sigh. "I don't understand you espers at all. What's the point in having all that power if all it does is get you hurt? When I was in school, the worst we had to deal with was getting our hair pulled and being called rude names. I guess when you introduce supernatural powers to a bunch of children things are bound to go bad."

"I'm not a little kid," Mikoto fumed, trying to ignore the stinging pain as the doctor wrapped her back and chest in gauze. Like everything else, Academy City had put a lot of time and money into advancing the field of medicine. The material most bandages in the city was made out of was not cloth, but rather an elastic material laced with proteins designed for the specific purpose of clotting blood and stitching together wounded flesh. Soon, the pain was replaced by a numbness and an almost pleasant tingling sensation.

"Hm, sorry. I'm almost twice your age, so it's hard for me to see you as anything else, especially when you pout so adorably like that."

"S-shut up," Mikoto spluttered, he face turning red. "I'm still a level five you know! Don't treat me like some little princess!"

"Ah, yes! Like that! So cute!" The woman said, clasping her hands together and squealing in delight.

"R-really," Mikoto huffed, calming down and trying to fight back the blush that had spread through her cheeks, "And you call yourself an adult."

"Well, sometimes even us adults need to have a little fun at the expense of our juniors," the doctor said, chuckling as Mikoto stammered.

They continued in silence, Mikoto too flustered to speak coherently and the doctor too amused to change the topic, until all of Mikoto's wounds had been dressed. She was still exhausted, but the pain had been numbed to some degree, and she found she could stand without falling over. Still, these sessions were taking too much out of her. She wasn't progressing fast enough.

"The burns on your hands and arms are minor," the woman said, back to business. "You should be able to remove those bandages in the morning, so long as you keep them on while you sleep. The covering on your back you'll need to keep on for a while longer, maybe a week. The blistering was pretty bad, so if you don't want it to scar you'll need to keep that bandage on. I stitched up the cut on your leg, but keep that covered too. Other than that you'll have some bruising and a few minor cuts and scrapes. The burns are the worst of it though, so just keep an eye on it and come back immediately if something doesn't feel right."

Mikoto stood, trying to keep as much weight off her leg as possible. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as it had been, but she still felt weak, and her leg shook when she tried to put her weight on it.

"Careful on that," the doctor said, nodding at Mikoto's injured leg. "The painkillers will take care of the pain for the most part, but you should still keep from doing anything too strenuous while it's healing. That cut came close to doing some real damage, so it would be best if you didn't aggravate it. Try not to walk too much if you can help it."

"I get it," Mikoto grumbled. "You don't have to treat me like a kid."

The doctor merely shrugged, smiling at her. "Well, far be it from me to tell the mighty Railgun how to take care of herself. Still, taking on seven level fours at once is no mean feat, even for you, miss third-ranked esper. Besides, as long as you're doing these tests, I'm your doctor. It's my job to be worried about you."

Mikoto felt her cheeks heating up and scoffed, turning away from the woman. "W-whatever. As long as I can keep improving my ability I can handle a little pain. A few scrapes aren't going to keep me down."

"Such an admirable spirit," the doctor said with a wistful sigh. "I wonder if it's just part of being young?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Well, maybe not. Anyway, take care of yourself, Misaka-san. We'll see you again in a few days, then?"

"Yeah," Mikoto said, pulling her Tokiwadai vest on. The clothes she had worn during the experiment had been incinerated as soon as the test was concluded. This had been a condition Mikoto had set after the first test, when it became apparent that she wasn't likely to escape injury during these exercises. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that if the scientists wanted to, they wouldn't be able to secure a sample of her DNA in some other way, but it still made her feel better. After what had happened the last time Academy City's researchers had gotten ahold of her genetic code, she wasn't prepared to take any chances in handing it out to someone else.

"Let me know when those other espers recover, alright?" she asked.

"Of course," the woman said, offering her a kind smile. "I'll notify you as soon as they are fully recovered. I promise to take good care of them."

Mikoto let out a sigh, feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders. "Good, thanks. I... I appreciate it"

"Don't worry too much about it. They all volunteered for this, after all. It's not like you're being a bully. They wanted to test themselves, and saw this as an opportunity to push their limits. They knew the risks involved in challenging a level five. Worrying too much about them is an insult to their determination to improve themselves."

Mikoto simply nodded. After the first test, she had seriously considered calling the experiments off. As much as she wanted, no, needed, to get stronger, she never wanted to hurt anyone in the process. Hospitalizing five espers for a week hadn't been what she thought she was signing up for when she approached the managers of this facility with her offer. But she couldn't think of any other way, and as much as she hated hurting them, she couldn't stop now. She had a responsibility, and she would be damned if she turned her back on that now. This was a problem she had created herself; she had no right to walk away from it.

"Yeah, I know," Mikoto sighed, pushing her stray bangs behind her ear. "You're right. Anyway, see you next time."

The doctor watched Mikoto as she left, walking with a noticeable limp. It was such a shame to see someone so young pushing themselves so hard, but she understood what Misaka was feeling; the pressure of guilt and responsibility that must have been crushing the young woman was a feeling she knew all too well. There was a time when she would have thought it unthinkable for someone so young to be bearing such a heavy burden. Those days were long past. Now, all she could do was help when they came to her, battered and broken. If a kind word and a smile was what it took to keep them going, then she was more than happy to oblige. It was the least she could do after what she had done.

"I wonder sometimes if we all wouldn't be better off if this city had never existed," she whispered, before turning back to her desk and beginning the arduous process of reviewing the results of Misaka Mikoto's latest experiment.

* * *

A/N: So despite the fact that I really didn't like the idea of having more than one story going at the same time, I started this one. That tends to happen when I get obsessed with a character though, and Mikoto has made it into my list of favorite characters from anything. As far as canon goes, I'm going off of what has been released so far in the Railgun manga, so this would take place sometime after the Daihaisesai arc. I haven't read the light novels, so I'm sure I'm going to screw some things up related to that, but I'm not too concerned. Consider it an AU if you like. The Railgun manga has enough differences from the Index story line that I'm not going to tear my hair out trying to get them to mesh. I don't anticipate getting yelled at anyway, it doesn't seem like there are a lot of people reading Railgun/Index fics. I'll be happy with just about any response, but if you read it, please do let me know what you think. Thanks!


	2. Bright Eyes

Tokiwadai Middle School's reputation as one of the top educational institutions in Academy City was not something the school had earned easily. It had taken a great deal of hard work and discipline on the part of its students and faculty, not to mention a great deal of money. It also helped that Tokiwadai had developed two of the city's seven level fives, an achievement the director was more than happy to remind their competitors of.

Of course, being a school for espers, and high level ones at that, did lead to complications. Super-powered children were even more difficult to deal with than their relatively powerless counterparts, and the abilities the children had developed often led to equally difficult to handle personalities, and when those personalities clashed, there could be collateral damage.

This fact was not lost on the students themselves, and as such, when encountering a grumpy, sleep deprived level five in the hallways, most students knew to leave well enough alone.

Mikoto staggered down the hallways, half asleep. The day after a session at the labs was always brutal, but today she was in a particularly foul mood. It had started the night before, when she had arrived back at the dorms to find that Kuroko had decided to sleep in her bed in her absence. The pig-tailed teleporter had been wearing a most disturbing expression on her face, but Mikoto hadn't had the energy to shock her roommate out of bed. She had felt the familiar anger that came whenever Kuroko invaded her personal space with her perverted looks and roving hands, but instead of the crackle of electricity that normally accompanied the feeling, all she had been able to muster was an exhausted growl before she had collapsed into Kuroko's bed, asleep before her head had even hit the pillow.

Preparing for class had been an ordeal in itself, as Kuroko predictably tried to "assist" her in getting ready. It had taken several powerful shocks to dissuade her, and by the time Mikoto had finally managed to rid herself of her roommate and get ready, she had been late. She absently massaged her side, wincing at the stab of pain. It didn't help that her recovery wasn't progressing as quickly as she had hoped. Despite Academy City's miraculous medical programs, it seemed not even the drugs provided by the ability development facility could heal her over night. She sighed, rubbing her head, ignoring the curious glances she was earning from her classmates. Normally, she tried to be friendly, or at least courteous to the multitude of students that approached her, but today, she couldn't manage more than a simple greeting to anyone that stopped her in the hall.

Two more hours. She just had to make it two more hours and she could go back to her dorm room and sleep. Hopefully, Kuroko would have the good sense to leave her alone. She didn't know if she had enough in her today to zap the perverted teleporter into submission, and she didn't fancy the idea of trying.

The bell rang, and Mikoto groaned as she staggered her way to her class. The halls emptied of students, and soon she was alone. She took a moment, just enjoying the silence. Her head was pounding, and the gash on her leg was starting to burn again. She was going to need to take more of the medication the doctor had given her last night on her way out of the facility. She made a face at the thought. Taking anything they gave her didn't really sit well with her. After everything that had happened with the Sisters, trusting the researchers of Academy City was not easy for her to do. However, after he first night of lying in bed in a state of constant agony, she had relented. There was little she could do on her own. At this point, she simply had to take a leap of faith and do as they instructed her.

Mikoto's eyes snapped open at the sound of approaching footsteps, and she realized with a start that she had begun to doze off in the middle of the hallway. She turned to see who had snapped her out of her daze, an excuse already forming on her lips. Her words died as she saw the newcomer, her lips twisting into a scowl.

"You're pushing yourself too hard, don't you think, Misaka-san?"

Mikoto glared at the blond-haired level five. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have time for your games today, I'm late for class."

"Oh please," Shokuhou said, rolling her eyes, "Just because I can't read your mind doesn't mean I don't know where you've been going at night. I do keep tabs on the other level fives, you know. You actually tend to be rather boring when compared to the others, though I have to say things have been getting a little more interesting lately. I never would have thought you'd go this far."

"What, so now you're spying on me?" Mikoto asked, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. She still hadn't forgiven Shokuhou for toying with the minds of her friends. "Why don't you just leave me alone, I'm sure you've got more than enough to do without watching me like some creepy stalker."

Shokuhou simply sighed, favoring Mikoto with a level stare. "It's not like I'm out to get you or anything. Despite what you may hear from the members of my clique, I don't particularly care that you're two ranks higher than me, or that people call you Tokiwadai's Ace. I couldn't care less about all that; I prefer to work from behind the scenes anyway, so I don't really need the attention."

Mikoto scoffed, turning away, "You could have fooled me. Those girls practically worship the ground you walk on, and you don't seem to do anything to discourage them."

"Oh, it's not that I don't enjoy the attention," Shokuhou said with a smile, idly tugging at a stray thread on her uniform, "I just don't need it. Besides, they have their uses. Some of those girls are from very influential families, and it's nice to be able to ask for favors."

"As if you ever bother to ask anyone for anything. Your clique is nothing more than an army of puppets."

"Hm, that's an interesting way of putting it, especially coming from you," Shokuhou said, tucking her long, golden hair behind her ear. Mikoto bristled at the comment, but said nothing. "Despite what you may think, I do have friends. I don't have to use my power to get people to like me. There are plenty of people who like me for me, just like you, and who would be happy to do me a favor if I asked. I don't run around using my power every time I don't get my way. Just because we've had our disagreements doesn't mean I'm some horrible monster, you know."

"Whatever," Mikoto huffed, crossing her arms. "What do you want, anyway? Are you here to try to blackmail me or something?"

"You shouldn't be so suspicious all the time, it's unbecoming of a lady," Shokuhou said with a shake of her head. "Though I highly doubt that anyone would mistake such an underdeveloped brat like you for a lady anyway."

"S-s-shut up!" Mikoto said, her cheeks flushing beet red as her arms flew to cover her chest.

"Well anyway, to answer your question, no, I didn't come to blackmail you. I just happened to notice you falling asleep in the hallway, and thought I'd offer you some advice: you're pushing yourself too hard, and working with those people won't end well. I can admire your drive, but what do you really think you're going to accomplish at this rate? I'm sure your friends don't want to see you get hurt, and that's all that's going to happen if you keep doing these tests."

"What do you know?" Mikoto ground out, glaring at the blond-haired girl leaning against the wall. "Besides, you're the last person I want to have giving me advice."

Shokuhou merely shrugged, twisting a lock of her hair between her fingers. "I suppose it's not any of my business, but do you really think you're doing them any good by pushing yourself like this? It's not as though you can always be watching over them, no matter how strong you get. I can't imagine they would be too happy to see you in this state."

"It's not about what they want," Mikoto grumbled, slumping against the wall with a heavy sigh. "This whole situation is my fault. They only exist because I was stupid enough to trust those damned researchers, and now they have to live in constant fear of being used in another sick experiment." The memory of how she had given up her DNA map still stung, like picking the scab off an old wound. There was a time when the memory of that exchange had brought her pleasure. She had thought she was helping people, helping that little boy. She had wanted him to get better, and when that man had told her she could help him with her power, she had been so happy. Now though, the memory brought only pain, and a bitter resentment for Academy City and her own foolishness.

"Well, I can't say I really care if you want to keep trying to kill yourself for the amusement of some researcher trying to make a name for themselves. It's not like you'd listen to me anyway. I just thought I'd make the effort."

"What does it matter to you what I do anyway" Mikoto asked, glaring at Shokuhou. Something about the psychic made her blood boil. Maybe it was her aloof attitude, or maybe it was the fact that she was so damned intent on keeping everything about herself a secret, hidden beneath that smug exterior. "You never even told me why you helped during the Daihaseisai, but you made it pretty clear that it wasn't because you were worried about me."

"Look," Shokuhou said, leaning forward, hands on her hips, "you don't need to bite my head off here, all I did was give you some friendly advice. What do you think is going to happen if you keep this up? Look at you, you're a mess! You can barely even stay standing, you're falling asleep in the corridors, and I'm willing to bet you've got more than just a few scrapes and bruises under your uniform."

Mikoto's hand absently drifted to her side, hovering over her wound. "W-what do you know anyway," she stammered, averting her gaze. "It's not like you would understand why I'm doing this in the first place, you've never done anything selfless in your life, so why don't you just mind your own business!"

"Fine!" Shokuhou shouted, her cheeks pink with anger. "I try to show a little camaraderie, and you can't even be bothered to take it seriously! You're just a mopey child too wrapped up in her own problems to even consider the consequences. And before you go calling other people selfish, why don't you take a look at yourself? You act all noble, but I'm willing to bet you haven't told any of your friends what you're up to, have you? You don't know me, Misaka-san so don't go calling me selfish when you can't even admit to yourself that the only reason you're doing any of this is because you feel guilty!"

Mikoto reeled back as though she had been slapped, speechless. She wanted to to shout down the obnoxious telepath, but she couldn't. Deep down, she knew there was a great deal of truth to the psychic's words.

"If you're going to keep doing this, then that's up to you," Shokuhou said, turning and walking away, "just remember that in the long run, you're only going to end up hurting your friends if you keep pushing them away like this. If you keep trying to handle everything on your own, you'll end up all alone."

Mikoto watched Shokuhou until she disappeared around a corner, gritting her teeth as sparks jumped from her bangs. What did she know anyway? Shokuhou never did anything if it wasn't in her own best interest; there was no way someone like her could ever understand why she was doing all this.

With a growl of frustration, Mikoto turned and began walking towards her class. She was almost ten minutes late already, but she was too angry to care. It wasn't like she was putting herself through all of this because she wanted to. An image of the battered and bloody form of Misaka 10032 bubbled to the front of her mind, and she gritted her teeth. She couldn't let that keep happening. No matter what, she had to do to stop it.

Of course, she did feel guilty about keeping it a secret from her friends. She could still remember the expression on Saten-san's face the last time she had tried to take on something big by herself. Mikoto felt a pang of guilt in her chest. It wasn't that she didn't trust them. If anything, she wanted to tell them, to ask for their help even, but she couldn't. This wasn't like the time with Kiyama-sensei's student's, or the level upper incident. This time, it really was all her fault, and she needed to fix it.

Besides, it was far too dangerous to get them involved in this. Kongou-san had gotten hurt trying to help her, and it was easy to see how even that could have ended much worse. No, it was better to do this herself, even if it did mean telling a little white lie here and there. There were some things her friends were better off not knowing, and if she could protect them from delving any deeper into the darkness of Academy City, then she didn't care if she got hurt in the process.

* * *

Misaka sat with her head bowed, listening as her teacher berated her for her tardiness. It wasn't unexpected, but she still found the whole thing aggravating. She wanted nothing more than to stand up and walk out, but she restrained herself. There was no way that would end well, and besides, she had broken the rules.

"Not only were you late for class, but you fell asleep halfway through the lesson. Misaka-san, this kind of behaviour is not like you, and frankly, I'm surprised you would let yourself slip like this. You know how important it is for all of our students to be on time and fully engaged in the course material. If you aren't feeling well, then you need to go to the school infirmary instead of disrupting my class."

Mikoto nodded, doing her best not to nod off as her teacher scolded her. She couldn't really blame the woman. After all, it was hardly good form for her to be falling asleep in the middle of class. She had just been so tired, and all she wanted to do now was collapse into her bed and sleep to her heart's content.

"I'm sorry," Mikoto said, bowing her head. "I didn't mean to be late, or to fall asleep in class. I... haven't been sleeping well lately.

The teacher sighed, removing her glasses. "Misaka-san, I don't mean to sound harsh, but you have to understand why I'm concerned. Tokiwadai is rated as one of the top schools in all of Academy City, which as you can imagine is no small feat. We have great expectations of every student that attends this school, but even among the elite you stand out. I know you may not like it, but as one of only seven level fives in existence, your behaviour sets an example for the other students. I don't want them to see you slacking off, especially when I know how capable you are."

Mikoto bit her tongue, trying not to snap at the woman. "I understand. I'll try harder not to set a bad example for my classmates."

"Thank you, and please, try to get some rest. If you're having trouble sleeping, maybe you should see the school doctors. Tokiwadai spares no expense when it comes to the health of its students."

"Thank you, and I will," Mikoto lied. She had no intention of visiting the infirmary. The last thing she needed right now was to have to answer the kinds of questions that her physical condition would elicit. Best case scenario, she would be forbidden from leaving campus, and worst case scenario... well, she didn't want to think about that. It was bad enough having to deal with whatever rogue elements and twisted scientists were out for her blood now, she didn't want to have to start watching her back at school as well.

She bowed as she was dismissed, uttering one more apology. It was hard not to be a little frustrated with the scolding, though she couldn't really blame her teacher. It wasn't like she was being mean, and there was no way she could know about what Mikoto was doing. At least, Mikoto hoped not. Her encounter with Shokuhou had left her feeling a little more nervous about the whole thing, not the least because the psychic had admitted to spying on her. Shokuhou Misaki was not one to do the legwork for herself, which meant she had gotten that information from someone. If she had been thinking straight at the time, she would have thought to ask who.

"Ah, Onee-sama, in trouble with the teachers? How very unlike you."

Mikoto turned at the voice of her roommate, finding Kuroko standing just outside of the classroom. "Maybe if someone wasn't such a pervert and would let me get ready for class in peace, then I wouldn't have to worry about being late," Mikoto grumbled as Kuroko fell in step beside her.

"Onee-sama, you can't be so careless with your image," Kuroko lectured, ignoring the jab. "You are Tokiwadai's Ace! The crown jewel of our school, the unrivaled Electric Princess! What must your classmates think, seeing you scolded by the teacher like that?"

"Leave me alone, Kuroko, I just got this lecture, I don't need you to tell me too. Besides, I don't care about all that stuff."

"Sometimes I wonder how you can be so dense about these things," Kuroko said with a shake of her head. "Honestly, Onee-sama, you need to think about your position here a little more. If you're not careful, the Queen might see it as weakness and attempt to usurp your position as the pride of Tokiwadai!"

Mikoto snorted, "She's the last person I want to talk about right now. I just want to go back to the dorm and sleep, okay? We can talk about this later if you feel the need to keep pestering me about it."

"Eh? Onee-sama, did you forget? We were supposed to meet Uiharu and Saten-san at Judgement headquarters. They invited us to go shopping today. You seemed so excited about it the other day."

Mikoto mentally slapped herself. She had forgotten all about those plans. Saten-san had called her three days ago and invited the pair of them to a new shop opening at Seventh Mist. She stumbled as her concentration lapsed, and she had to brace herself against the wall.

"Sorry, Kuroko, but I don't think I'll be able to make it today. I really just need to sleep, I'm not feeling very well."

Kuroko's expression was one of concern as she moved to help Mikoto. "Onee-sama, are you sure you're all right? Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?"

"No!" Mikoto snapped, pulling away from Kuroko's touch. "I mean, no, that's alright. I just... just need some rest, okay. Tell Saten-san and Uiharu-san that I'm sorry I couldn't make it. I'll be sure to come next time."

Kuroko made to follow her, but Mikoto waved her off, giving the teleporter a cheeky grin. "Don't worry about me, Kuroko, I'll be fine. I just didn't sleep all that well last night, and I haven't been able to wake up properly all day. I'll be back to one-hundred percent after a nap."

She waved at Kuroko as she turned and headed for her room, one hand clutching her throbbing head. The headache was getting worse. She couldn't remember exactly when it had happened, but she had slammed her head into something pretty hard the night before while she had been running from the pyrokinetic and his air manipulating friend. Her doctor at the ability development facility, Doctor Kamui, had assured her that she wasn't concussed, but it still hurt like hell.

Finally, she managed to stagger back to her dorm room, and as soon as she was inside she collapsed on her bed. She'd need to check her bandages later, and take more of the medication she'd been given, but that could all wait until she had had a good, long rest. A contented sigh escaped her lips, despite the pounding in her head. There was nothing quite like the feeling of lying down in your own bed when you were completely exhausted; those few moments before she drifted off to sleep were always Mikoto's favorite. She snuggled deeper into her bed, pulling up the covers and burying her face in the pillow as she began to drift off to sleep.

It smelled like Kuroko.

* * *

"Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with her lately, she makes a promise and then backs out at the last minute! Not to mention oversleeping and getting in trouble with the teachers. It isn't like her."

Saten and Uiharu had had been waiting for her when Kuroko had arrived at the Judgment branch office, and after a brief explanation of Mikoto's absence, the three of them had made their way to Seventh Mist. After the bombing related to the level upper incident, several of the stores that had been most damaged had been unable to reopen, and so there had been several vacancies that only recently had been filled.

"Ahh, it's too bad, Misaka-san really would have liked that souvenier shop. She said she was looking for a new strap for her phone, didn't she?" Saten asked, sipping from a plastic cup.

"I think so, doubtless she wanted something childish," Kuroko said with a sigh. "I wish she would act more her age. It's one thing to have an interest in such things as a child, though a frog is far from something a lady should have such a fascination with, but she'll be in high school soon! She needs to discard such adolescent fancies."

"Isn't that part of her charm though? I always thought it was sort of cute how she acts when you tease her about her taste."

A goofy grin formed on Kuroko's face. "Ahhh, I must admit, Onee-sama's expression when she tries to deny that she likes such kiddie things is absolutely delicious! The pink cheeks, the stuttering speech, the quick glance away, it's all too much!" The pig-tailed girl squealed and spun in place, drawing the stares of the other shoppers, many of whom looked more than a little disturbed by the display.

"Y-yeah, uh, hey! Why don't we get something to eat? I'm starving!" Saten said, grabbing her two friends by the arm and pulling them away from the gathering crowd. Uiharu stumbled along behind her, stammering protests, while Kuroko simply let herself be drug along, still lost in her fantasy.

A few minutes later, the trio was seated inside a new cafe, Kuroko having snapped out of her daze. It was a cozy little place, the design reminiscent of the style adopted by the School Garden. It was an aesthetic that Kuroko had always enjoyed. It added a sophisticated air, and she thought it rather suited her. Still, she had to admit it was a little strange to find a restaurant with distressed hardwood floors and brick walls inside the modern Seventh Mist Mall, with all it's bright signs and colorful displays.

"Honestly, Shirai-san," Uiharu said with a sigh, "you tease Misaka-san about her taste, but you're worse than she is sometimes. At least Misaka-san doesn't start drooling in a crowded mall."

Kuroko ignored her fellow judgement member, eyes scanning the menu.

"Hey, at least she doesn't go flashing her panties in public, unlike some people I know," Saten said with a mischievous grin, her hands inching towards her friend's skirt.

"S-Saten-san!" Uiharu exclaimed, clasping her hands over her skirt, her cheeks flaring pink. "I do not show my panties in public! It's you that's always flipping my skirt up!"

A few of the other customers looked over curiously at the sudden outburst, and Uiharu squeaked in embarrassment, shrinking down in the booth as Saten laughed.

Kuroko sighed, closing the menu. "I suppose I'll just have some tea and a pastry. I never know what to order when I go to a restaurant for the first time."

The server approached, quirking a curious eyebrow at the still blushing Uiharu, but taking their orders without comment. Once he had departed the three friends sat in silence.

"I hope Misaka-san is feeling alright," Uiharu said after a moment. "It feels like we've been seeing less of her lately."

"Yeah," Saten agreed. "The group dynamic is way off without her here. There's no one for Shirai-san to fawn over, and there's definitely a lot less noise without her yelling. I miss it. Did she say what was wrong?"

Kuroko swirled the water in her glass with a finger, watching as a speck of dust was pulled down into the miniature whirlpool. "She said she wasn't sleeping well, but I don't think she was being honest with me. She's been staying out late again, and she comes home exhausted. I don't think she knows that I've noticed, I'm usually asleep when she gets back. But she's been out at least twice a week over the past month, and sometimes it seems like it's all she can do to get out of bed in the morning."

"Hmm, stays out late and comes back exhausted? Are you sure she doesn't have a boyfriend? That sounds an awful lot like something she would do if she was having secret rendezvous with some mystery guy!" Ruiko exclaimed, her eyes wide and sparkling.

A certain spiky haired buffoon came immediately to mind, and Kuroko had to suppress a scream of frustration. There was no way her precious Onee-sama could be doing something like that! Sure, she may have stayed out late chasing him before, but that was different! The idea that the oaf had laid his brutish hands on Onee-sama was enough to make her hair stand on end.

"Don't be ridiculous! There's no way Onee-sama would debase herself in such a way as to let that filthy animal do such things, not when she has me!"

"Ah, you say that, but isn't that exactly the kind of thing she would try to keep from you? I mean, you don't exactly have a history of taking those sorts of things well."

A strangled scream escaped Kuroko's lips, and her head slumped against the table, an air of gloom hovering over her.

"Shirai-san, I'm sure you're overreacting," Uiharu soothed. "I'm sure Misaka-san would have mentioned something about that if she were seeing a boy. She's too honest, she wouldn't be able to keep something like that a secret for long."

Kuroko paused, her head inches from the hard surface of the table. That was true. She had gotten to know Onee-sama quite well in the time they had spent together as roommates, and it there was one thing about her character that you could count on, it was that if there was something that she was shy or embarrassed about, she wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. It wasn't that she was bad at keeping secrets, exactly, but rather, she was the kind of person that was simply too shy about certain things.

Her mind drifted back to some of the things Onee-sama had said, coming home so late at night after chasing that spiky haired fool around the city. Kuroko had burned with jealousy at the happiness in Onee-sama's voice as she described the evening's antics. Why did she never sound like that when they were together? Why was that man able to make her smile like that? It made her blood boil, but even as the anger burned inside of her, she remembered a pair of strong arms catching her as she fell, blinded by light. No, he was not all bad, but she still had no intention of surrendering Onee-sama to him!

"You're right, Uiharu," Kuroko said once she had composed herself. "I don't think it could be something like that." She had to force the next words out, so distasteful they were to even consider: "If Onee-sama had a... b-boyfriend, then I would expect she would seem... happier. Lately, she seems depressed, or rather, determined, focused in a way that's taking a toll on her. I haven't seen her this way in a long time."

"Hmm, well if it isn't a boy, then maybe it's..." Saten whipped out her phone, "Power Pox!"

Uiharu and Kuroko simply blinked, exchanging confused glances as Saten eagerly typed away on her phone.

"I came across this while I was searching one of my rumor sites," Saten said, holding up the phone for her friends to see. "It's the latest big rumor floating around. According to this, high level espers have been coming down with a mysterious illness, causing erratic behavior and loss of control of their powers. It also says there's a bunch of other symptoms, like headaches, insomnia, nausea, mood swings, and coughing and sneezing too."

"That sounds like it could be anything then," Kuroko said. "Any high level esper showing signs of illness would fit into those categories, regardless of what kind of illness they have."

"Ah, Saten-san, you really should stop reading those sites; it's not healthy to be so obsessed with rumors all the time. It's also sort of a strange hobby," Uiharu said.

"Uiharu!" Saten exclaimed, her voice full of mock hurt. "I assure you that I have only the noblest of intentions! As our group's resident level zero, it's my duty to do what I can to protect my friends from hidden dangers. Remember the Level Upper? Or how about Poltergeist? Even the stripper lady turned out to be real! If it wasn't for my sleuthing skills, we would have been unprepared for all of them!"

"Hm, but it was Uiharu who ended up doing the real sleuthing, wasn't it?" Kuroko asked, scrolling through the rumor site on Saten's phone.

"W-well yeah, I guess, but she never would have thought to follow up on these rumors if it wasn't for my finding them in the first place, right? I'm more of an idea person, anyway; Uiharu's the one with the real detective skills."

Kuroko sighed, handing the phone back to Saten. "As much as I'd like to dismiss this as just another ridiculous rumor, you do have a history of finding rumors with some merit. I'll speak with Onee-sama more later tonight, as long as she's feeling better."

"You should be careful, Shirai-san," Uiharu urged, her eyes wide with concern. "If Misaka-san really is sick, then you might get it too. You're also a high level esper. If you catch the Power Pox too, then who's going to take care of Misaka-san?"

Kuroko's eyes widened, an eerie smile spreading across her face. Uiharu shifted uncomfortably as the air around them suddenly seemed denser, clinging to them like molasses.

"Kukuku, yes, Onee-sama needs looking after," Kuroko said with a dark chuckle. "She's sick, defenseless, in need of help. Who better to take care of her than Kuroko?" There was a disturbing twinkle in the young teleporter's eyes. "Someone will need to help her change out of her sweaty clothes, help her bathe, stay by her bedside all night as she sleeps. Hehehe, Onee-sama, not to worry, Kuroko will take care of you in your time of need."

"Um... Shirai-san?"

Kuroko snapped out of her fantasy to find Saten stifling a laugh and Uiharu doing her best to smile, while their waiter stared at her with a horrified expression.

"Our, uh, food is here."

"Ah, yes, of course," Kroko said, brushing a hand over her mouth to wipe away the drool. The waiter set their dishes on the table before beating a hasty retreat, clearly disturbed by the display.  
"Well then, it's decided: you two will continue to research this "Power Pox" and report back on your findings, and I will tend to Onee-sama and see to it she doesn't get any worse."

"Alright! Uiharu, come over to my place tonight and we can start digging through those rumor sites. With your skills, I'm sure we'll be able to find something in no time!"

* * *

"That Misaka Mikoto, how dare she speak to me like that? I was only trying to be friendly!"

Inside one of School Garden's numerous sweet shops, and irate blonde sat cramming cake into her mouth, her face flushed with anger as several other girls sat around her, each of them trying to figure out how best to sooth the raging psychic's temper.

"Q-Queen-sama," one of them managed to squeak out, "y-you shouldn't eat so much all at once, it's not good for you."

Misaki turned to glare at the speaker, a young girl with soft brown curls and bright blue eyes. "Be quiet," she hissed, not in the mood to be taking advice from anyone, not even members of her own clique. None of the girls here were anything more than sycophants, and it wasn't like they'd remember any of this later anyway. Her eyes flashed gold. "Why don't you see how many lemon tarts you can eat?"

* * *

A/N: A big thank you to everyone that reviewed chapter one, and hopefully the long intermission hasn't dissuaded you from picking this back up for the second installment. I'm glad those of you that reviewed liked the action scene, as those are hard to write. A quick note here: I tried reformatting the quotes to be more distinctive, but I couldn't find a way to do it that I liked, so they'll stay the same for now.

So, chapter two. Didn't take that long to write, but it certainly took a long time to get started. That's usually the biggest hurdle, and these sorts of chapters can be a challenge. Beginnings and plot points are easy, it's getting from one to another that's hard, especially without making it all seem like so much filler.

I'm not terribly disappointed with this chapter, though I did have a hard time with parts of it. Kuroko is hard to write, since her behavior shifts so quickly, and it's hard to keep Uiharu involved since she's so quiet and subdued compared to the others.

I took a few liberties with Shokuhou's character, since in the manga it's hard to tell what exactly is going on with her. Thus, this story will go with my headcanon. She is fun to write though, since I get the feeling she's got a lot in common with Mikoto, in that they both have sort of childish tastes and are quick to throw temper tantrums. I also thought involving her in the story would make it more interesting, since she's a character with a lot of reach, and writing her isn't that hard, all things considered.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I look forward to reading your comments.


	3. Flow

The constant, dull hum of hundreds of computers, machines, and devices whose purpose she could not begin to divine filled the air like the buzzing of a distant hive. Even more than the sound, Mikoto could feel it, grating against the inside of her skull and running through her body, raising goosebumps over her skin. Electricity was thick in the air, so much so she wondered how the man in the white coat standing across the room from her, a man that had been introduced to her as Doctor Corrin, couldn't feel it. But he seemed oblivious to her discomfort, fiddling with a large panel full of switches and blinking lights.

Not for the first time, Mikoto wondered if they ramped up the power output specifically during her visits just to unnerve her.

It wasn't that she couldn't take the presence of so much power, far from it. After all, her body was capable of producing in excess of one billion volts of electricity. Most of the time, she felt comforted by the presence of so much of her element. She remembered feeling distinctly uncomfortable the last time she had accompanied her mother on one of their annual camping trips in the mountains. She'd felt practically naked without the familiar hum of electricity all around her.

Here though, it felt different. There was something malevolent about the energy she felt here, something sick. Mikoto knew it was ridiculous to assign such labels to something as cold and neutral as an electrical current, but she couldn't shake the feeling. It weighed on her every time she approached the labs, and stuck with her long after she left, clinging to her like an odor.

Maybe it was just that she just hated coming here.

"That ought to do it," the researcher said, turning and offering Mikoto a smile devoid of any actual joy. "I've calibrated the room to respond specifically to shifts in your AIM field. That will ensure that we can properly conduct the test without having to worry as much about your natural resistance to external electrical fields. I have to say, Misaka-san, it is a testament to your abilities that a room like this is required for this kind of test at all."

It was hard for Mikoto to tell if he was actually paying her a compliment, or if he simply saw a particularly successful test subject.

"You still haven't told me what exactly this test is about," Mikoto said after a moment of glaring at the man, who in turn offered her the same empty smile he always did. "You've been having me fight level fours for the last month now, why the sudden change?"

"Ah, well, the chief thought it was time to test you on something else," Doctor Corrin said with a dismissive air. "While combat simulations are good at testing your adaptability and helping improve things like your response time and judgement, there's really only so much improvement that can be made in such a chaotic environment. Of course, you did specifically ask for that kind of training, so I'm sure there will be more of that, don't you worry your pretty little head.

Mikoto simply grunted in response, crossing her arms. "That still doesn't answer my question about what we're doing here."

"Children these days, so impatient." He flipped a few switches and the distant humming grew louder. A large, circular platform rose out of the center of the room. "If you would please stand on that pedestal, Misaka-san, I will explain today's experiment."

Mikoto did as she was asked, stepping onto the raised platform and looking around to get a better look at the room. The walls curved into a domed ceiling, and were covered in metal panels that each seemed to be covered in divots, each no larger than a tennis ball. Energy raced through the walls, making Mikoto tense. She could feel it, hungry, restless, waiting to be released, yet still somehow foggy, like she couldn't quite grasp it.

"You're batte instincts are impressive, as is your ability to adapt on the fly. However, despite the fact that you are capable of producing an incredible amount of power, you lack the ability to maintain that level of power for a sustained period of time. In order to rectify this, what is needed is an endurance test. Allow me to demonstrate."

Corrin flipped a switch, and Mikoto felt the shift in the energy coursing through walls the instant before it slammed into her. Agony ripped through her body and she screamed as electricity tore through her system, unbidden and out of control. For a moment, everything went black, and when she opened her eyes she was staring at the ceiling.

Mikoto gingerly rose to her knees, trying to get her feet under her so she could stand.

"What... what the hell did you do?" Furious eyes stared at the researcher who stood calmly at the controls, regarding her with what seemed to be amusement.

"It seems Tokiwadai's famed Electric Princess can't handle a little shock," Corrin said with a chuckle. The sound sent shivers down Mikoto's spine, but a moment later he was all business again, though his expression did not change.

"As you may have noticed, the current was tuned to a specific wavelength that would interfere with your AIM field, thus making it much harder for you to control."

"That doesn't make sense," Mikoto panted, getting to her feet. The smell of ozone and burnt hair assaulted her nose as she stood. Her legs were unsteady beneath her, but she stood tall, determined not to show any more weakness. "I've never had any trouble controlling any electric currents outside of my body, let alone been hurt by them."

"Well, I did say that I had tuned the current specifically to interfere with your AIM field." Corrin turned his attention back to the console. "Think of it this way. Let's say your ability allowed you to control water instead of electricity. Assuming that you were powerful enough to control almost any volume of water, then it would stand to reason that no water based attack could hurt you."

He paused for a moment, looking back over his shoulder at Mikoto. The numbness in her fingers and toes had started to fade, but she still felt as though she had a bad sunburn.

"Your situation is a little different, given that you don't simply control electricity but produce it as well, but ignore that for the moment. So if I wanted to injure Misaka-san the water esper with a water based attack, I would have to change my strategy a little bit." The hum began to build again, and Mikoto tensed.

"Now, suppose instead of water, I used mud? There is water in the mud, and you would be able to control that, but not the earth inside of it."

"You mean, when I tried to move the water, the effort of moving the earth with it would make it harder for me to control," Mikoto said, beginning to see what Corrin meant.

"Ah, I see you understand," Corrin said, clasping his hands together. "That's it exactly. A rather crude analogy, I admit, but it serves its purpose. So we apply a similar process here; by tuning the current against your AIM field, we are essentially muddying the mixture, and that makes it harder for you to control, and your body sees the current as foreign."

"But how is that supposed to help me?!" Mikoto shouted, finally losing her patience. "How is electrocuting me supposed to make me any stronger?"

"Think of it as a game of tug-of-war," Corrin said, ignoring her outburst. "You can still sense the current, it's simply that you cannot exert full control over it. So you must use your own power to direct the harmful current away from yourself. If you falter, you will be electrocuted, as you were before. I thought it might help if you had some motivation."

Mikoto tensed at the memory of the sudden, blinding agony. Under normal circumstances, such an exercise would be child's play, but this was different. It was disturbing enough to even know it was possible to tune electricity against her. Mikoto had always felt comfortable around it, ever since she had learned she was an electromaster. Even as a level one she had never been afraid of her power. Now though, she had tasted a bit of what it could do when it showed its teeth. She had no desire to feel it again.

"H-how long do I have to keep that up?"

The hum rose to a screech, and Corrin grinned as he flipped another switch.

"For as long as you can."

* * *

"Gaaa! This is hopeless!"

Ruiko Saten flopped back on her bed, letting out a sigh of frustration. Her computer lay open before her, nearly a dozen open windows displaying all of her favorite rumor and urban legend sites. Yet none of them had more information about Power Pox than what she had already known.

"Don't worry, Saten-san," Uiharu said from her position on the other side of her friend's desk, her own computer open and her fingers working furiously at the keyboard. "I'm sure we'll find something, we just have to keep looking."

Ruiko grumbled, pulling at her hair in frustration. "I thought for sure I'd be able to find something useful, but all anyone seems to talk about are the symptoms, and "oh hey I think my friend has that" stories. I figured with my sleuthing skills and your computer wizardry we'd have found something by now."

"We've only been at it for a couple of hours," Uiharu pointed out. "If there's anything to this rumor, then it's not likely that we'd be able to find out what's causing it just by checking the rumor sites, and it will take me awhile to delve any deeper in Academy City's databases. I can't just snap my fingers and get into any system I want."

Ruiko sat up on her elbows, staring at the ceiling. "I know, I'm just impatient, you know? We haven't seen Misaka-san in weeks, and Shirai-san seems to be getting really worried about her. I just want to help."

"Hm, well maybe we should visit her this weekend. I'm sure she'd be happy to see us, and maybe we can convince her to tell us what's going on."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Ruiko said, flipping herself into a sitting position and grinning at Uiharu. "She probably won't tell us anything though, you know how she is about these things. That girl can be too stoic for her own good sometimes."

Uiharu smiled. "That's true. She can have a hard time being open with other people, even her friends. I wonder if it's because she's a level five and feels like she should be able to rely on her own power?"

"Nah, that's not really like her," Ruiko said, waving her hand in dismissal. "Misaka-san is more the type to want to solve her problems herself because she doesn't want to get other people involved. No matter how many times we try to tell her we're here to help her, she never seems to learn that lesson."

Uiharu smiled. "We'll just have to keep trying. Sooner or later, I'm sure she'll understand that we just want to help her."

"Yeah, you're right," Ruiko said with a grin, sitting back down at her desk. "Guess in the meantime we'll just have to do our best to help her without her permission. Find anything new?"

"Nothing we didn't already know," Uiharu said with a small frown. "Most of the reports that I've been able to link to espers that might be suffering from Power Pox mostly just list symptoms. Decreased control of their ability, erratic behavior, insomnia, paranoia, instances of complete loss of control. There's a report here of a pyrokinetic who set fire to her room while she was asleep."

Ruiko made a face. "Is she alright?"

"Let's see..." Uiharu frowned as she scrolled through the report. "Mizushima Hanako, a level four pyrokinetic. According to the report, she suffered severe burns in the incident, and is currently recovering in the District 7 hospital. The official report doesn't say anything about Power Pox, but it does note that she had no history of similar accidents, and it is being classified as a "highly unusual" case."

"You said she suffered burns?" Ruiko asked. Uiharu nodded, prompting a thoughtful expression from Ruiko. "I thought elemental type espers couldn't be hurt by their own powers. Misaka-san never shocks herself, even when she gets super mad."

"That's sort of true." Uiharu said, tapping her chin in thought. "For someone like Misaka-san, controlling her electricity is second nature, but even much less experienced espers rarely hurt themselves when using their powers. Most of the time, it's because the level of the ability can't really exceed their ability to control it. If a level three was capable of producing the same amount of electrical current as Misaka-san though, there's a good chance they could get hurt."

"So this Power Pox thing doesn't lower an espers power so much as it lowers their control?"

"At this point all we can do is speculate, but it seems like there's a good chance you're right. Of course, that's assuming that's what we're looking at here at all." Uiharu absently adjusted her flower band, eyes locked on the screen. "But if that's true, and Misaka-san does have it, then things could get a lot worse than we thought. Mizushima-san nearly burned down her entire dorm, and she's only level four."

"Yeah, I don't want to think about what might happen if Misaka-san lost control," Ruiko said with a grimace. "She'd never hurt anyone, at least not on purpose, but she's so stubborn sometimes. She'd probably end up hurting herself."

Uiharu nodded, watching as the sun crept down below the horizon. It was getting late, and they had been at it nearly all afternoon, scouring the net for anything they could find that might let them help their friend.

"Well, we're not going to get anything else done sitting around here," Ruiko said, standing and stretching. "If there's nothing in the official report about Power Pox, then, we'll just have to do some more hands on research."

Ruiko pulled her friend out of her chair and towards the door, taking a moment to slip her shoes on before beckoning Uiharu to follow.

"Come on, it's almost curfew. No time to waste!"

"Eh? W-wait, Saten-san!" Uiharu stammered as she pulled her shoes on. "Where are we going?"

"The hospital of course!" Ruiko said, taking off at a run while Uiharu chased after her, shouting for the other girl to slow down.

* * *

By the time Mikoto staggered out of the facility, it was nearly curfew. The last of the sun's rays cast a web of pink and orange across the sky, highlighting the few clouds that lingered in the twilight.

Every step was a struggle as her body threatened to give out on her. Her muscles strained to keep her moving forward, and Mikoto had to grit her teeth to keep from keeling over right there on the sidewalk. It was going to be a long walk home.

The test had been much more strenuous than she had anticipated. Fighting the constant barrage of electricity taxed her in a way she had never experienced before, draining her reserves far faster than she had anticipated. Keeping up the battle had been too much, and after the first hour, she had slipped up. The resulting shock was more intense than the little jolt she had received prior to the test, and it had left her twitching and moaning on the floor for a solid minute before she managed to get herself together again.

After that, she had been more careful. Instead of trying to push back against the opposing current, she had used her power to change its direction so that it wouldn't hit her. Even still, there was only so long she could keep it up before her concentration slipped and she was shocked again.

After the fifth such slip up, she hadn't been able to get up again, and had blacked out temporarily, waking up to find herself in Doctor Kamui's office. The woman had treated her burns and given her something for the pain, but it wasn't enough to fully dull the tingling burn that covered much of her body, nor the bone-deep ache that was making it harder and harder for her to walk.

And of course, she still wasn't sure she had gotten anything useful out of the exercise. It had made a certain amount of sense, when she had been listening to Doctor Corrin's explanation, but she certainly didn't feel any stronger at the moment.

Mikoto was no stranger to hard work. She was a level five, after all, and she had reached that level through hard work and perseverance. Shrugging away from something just because it was hard wasn't in her character, but she was starting to wonder if these visits were such a good idea after all. She was constantly tired, her injuries barely had time to heal before new ones were inflicted, and she was starting to slip in her studies. To top it all off, she was worrying her friends again. She had promised herself she wouldn't do that anymore, but what choice did she really have?

On more than one occasion, Mikoto had toyed with the idea of telling them everything. If not Uiharu and Saten, then at least Kuroko. Kuroko could take care of herself, when it came down to it, and she was incredibly resourceful. Doubtless she'd be a great help if anything like what happened at the Daihaseisai were to happen again. She had even come close to telling her, after that incident with the remnants of the Tree Diagram.

But then, she remembered the cruel, taunting eyes of Accelerator, and the face of Mugino Shizuri, twisted in rage. She couldn't afford to get her friends involved with the likes of them. They were dangerous, cruel, and ruthless. It didn't matter how much she wanted to tell them, or how much they might be able to help her. The fact of the matter was, if they knew, they would never let her try to face the danger alone. They would put themselves in danger time and time again to help her, and that was something Mikoto couldn't allow. Sooner or later, their luck would run out, and one of them would be hurt or worse.

If that happened, Mikoto didn't know how she would be able to live with herself.

The last rays of the sun had finally disappeared over the horizon, the polished glass of Academy City's towers reflected only the light of the city itself. Her feet carried her forward without her really thinking about where she was going. If she thought too much about it, Mikoto didn't think she'd be able to keep walking.

It was getting harder and harder to focus. Her vision swam before her eyes, the world tilting at odd angles and lights leaving luminescent trails across her field of vision. She was only vaguely aware of her surroundings, finding it hard to focus on anything other than putting one foot in front of the other. Soon, even that seemed to be too much effort, and Mikoto stumbled, falling to one knee before she managed to catch herself.

Her stomach lurched as she forced herself back to her feet. 'I can barely even walk anymore,' she thought, dragging her feet as she attempted to keep moving forward. What she really needed was to rest, just for a moment. If she could catch her breath, then she'd be able to make it back to the dorm and collapse into her bed. Kuroko would have questions, but at the moment, that hardly seemed important.

Mikoto stumbled towards a nearby bench, hardly even aware of what she was doing as she collapsed onto it, slumping onto her side . Just a few minutes, and she'd be fine. She didn't want to arouse any suspicion—it had to be nearly curfew by now—but she needed to rest.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the lights of the distant towers. They seemed to swirl and dance before her eyes into a kaleidoscope of color before gradually dimming, darker and darker, until the world was black.

* * *

Kuroko sat at her desk, doing her best to focus on her homework. It wasn't particularly difficult; under normal circumstances she would have been done by now, but she was having a hard time concentrating on the work. She tapped her pen idly against her temple, her eyes glossing over the contents of her textbook, reading without comprehending. She blinked, realizing that once again she had read the same paragraph three times without paying any attention to its contents. Her eyes cut to the small clock she kept on her desk, biting her lip as she did.

Five minutes to curfew.

A forlorn sigh escaped her lips as she let her pen fall, closing her book. It wasn't as though she was going to be getting any work done tonight anyway, distracted as she was. Just where could Onee-sama be? Kuroko kept expecting to hear the door open and to turn and see her Onee-sama, smiling and apologetic (though that might have just been wishful thinking), but every time she turned, convinced she had heard something, the door was shut, and there was no sign of Onee-sama.

It had been like this a lot lately. Onee-sama would disappear after classes, and wouldn't return until after curfew. Sometimes she wouldn't get back until the early hours of the morning, and every time she did she would thank Kuroko for covering for her before passing out on her bed. Sometimes she didn't even bother undressing.

'Where are you right now, Onee-sama? What are you doing that leaves you so tired you pass out as soon as you get home and need me to wake you up in the mornings?'

She had tried asking her, tried being subtle and even tried the direct approach. That particular attempt had resulted in a particularly painful shock, but Onee-sama always denied that anything was wrong, brushing off her concerns. It was maddening, but there was very little Kuroko could do about it short of outright spying, something she was loath to do. She kept telling herself Onee-sama just needed time, that she would open up when she was ready, but it was getting harder and harder to convince herself of that.

Saten-san and Uiharu seemed to think it was this 'Power Pox' thing, or at least, Saten-san did, and she was dragging Uiharu along for the ride. Kuroko had her doubts, but there was no denying that Saten-san's intuition about these things had been right in the past. On more than one occasion it was her instincts for urban legends that had pointed them in the right direction. Perhaps she was right this time too.

Kuroko's eyes caught the clock just as the bells that signified curfew sounded over the school grounds, ringing with a tone of finality that made Kuroko's chest tighten. There was still no sign of Onee-sama. She checked her phone to make sure she hadn't missed any calls, but she knew it was pointless. She had been checking her phone every five minutes for the last two hours, but there was nothing. Not that she really expected to hear anything, but that hadn't stopped her hoping.

With a heavy sigh, Kuroko stood and stretched before heading for the bathroom, hoping a shower might help take her mind off of things, and that just maybe her beloved Onee-sama would be back by the time she finished.

* * *

With more than 2.3 million inhabitants, Academy City certainly qualified as a sprawling metropolis. Being without question the most modern and technologically advanced city in the world went a long way towards keeping order in the city, with everything from law enforcement to public transportation being monitored and managed by the incredible network of automated systems that was one of the city's crowning achievements. There was a reason even young children were allowed to live on their own in Academy City; with the simple layout and impeccable public transit systems, it was almost impossible to get lost.

Index had never been the kind of girl to let impossibilities get in her way.

"Toumaaa..." the young nun whimpered, shuffling along in her white habit, a large plastic bag full of snacks trailing behind her. She ambled along, zigzagging along the sidewalk in a vain attempt to collect her bearings. While blessed with a perfect memory, not even she could find her way home if she hadn't been paying attention in the first place.

A soft meowing issued from the collar of her robes. Index absently scratched Sphynx behind the ears, trying her best to recall the route she and Touma had walked earlier.

It wasn't her fault she was lost. She'd just been following Touma, playing with Sphynx. Finding the way home was supposed to be his job. So was buying the snacks. And doing the laundry. But that wasn't to say she didn't do anything important. She kept the fridge clean, after all, and someone had to play with Sphynx while Touma was at school. It would be a shame if the little kitten got bored, after all.

Touma had offered to buy her some snacks, and course she had agreed. When they got to the convenience store though, he had gotten a phone call from Komoe-sensei and run off, asking her if she'd be fine getting back on her own. Index had been too distracted by all the food to do anything other than nod.

Now, she was wishing she'd paid a little more attention on their way to the store, or at least asked Touma how to get home.

The sun had long since set, and Index was just considering resorting to her old standby of collapsing on the sidewalk when she spotted a telephone booth, gleaming like a beacon beneath a street light.

"Ah! Sphynx, we're saved!"

With renewed energy, she sprinted towards the phone booth, ignoring the startled cries of Sphynx, who dug his claws into the fabric of Index's habit for dear life.

As she neared the phone booth, she caught sight of something strange out of the corner of her eye. There, lying on a bench, was a girl. Index came to a stop, staring in confusion. It wasn't often that you saw someone sleeping on a bench in Academy City. From what Touma had said, the security forces tended to crack down on that thing pretty hard, in order to keep up the city's image.

Index hesitated for a moment, indecision playing across her features as she took fitful steps between the girl and the phone booth.

On the one hand, it was really none of her business if the girl wanted to sleep on a bench. It wasn't as if it was all that cold out or anything. On the other hand, it would be a shame if she got in trouble just for falling asleep outside, and if she did need help, then it was Index's duty as a servant of God to help her.

Steeling her resolve, Index took a tentative step forward, calling out to the sleeping girl. "Um, are you alright? You can get in trouble if you sleep there, you know? You should probably go back to your dorm."

She waited a moment for a response, but there was none. The girl didn't even seem to have heard her. Instead, she simply lay there, not moving. Anxiety began to creep into Index's chest, and she took a few more steps.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Still no response. By now Index was beginning to think the girl might actually be hurt. Any lingering apprehension she might have felt was overridden by concern as she knelt beside the girl, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Can you hear me?" She asked again, shaking a little harder. The girl didn't respond, but this close up, Index was able to make out her face, and she frowned. This girl looked strangely familiar. She searched her mind for the appropriate memory, and when she found it, her eyes widened in recognition.

"Short-Hair?"

* * *

A/N: This was a chapter I enjoyed writing quite a bit, though I'm not really sure how it came out. I think I like it overall. I'm trying really hard to avoid Mikoto coming across as too angsty, but I think a certain amount of that kind of thing is necessary (not to mention it just seems to be the way I write), and it's going to come up a bit more in the next chapter. The purpose of this story is mainly to explore Mikoto and the way she feels about her clones. Protective is the most obvious emotion, but I always got the impression that she really got into the idea of fulfilling her roll as their big sister. It's certainly an interesting dynamic that didn't seem to get enough attention in the series, so I'm trying to address that here. It also just makes for a bunch of really fun to write interactions.

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone that has reviewed. It's good to hear that I'm portraying the characters well, as that's something I'm always worried about. I fell in love with the story and its characters, so I want to do them justice.

Next chapter will be out soon, probably about a week. I actually have most of it written, since I cut this one down from about 10k words. It all works as one chapter, but I don't want to have this one be twice as long as the others, and it gives me an excuse to stop on a bit of a cliffhanger, which I've always wanted to do. Thanks again, and please keep reading and reviewing!


	4. Restless

Doctor Kamui stalked down the sterile hallway of the research center, a scowl on her face. Her normally immaculate hair was coming out of its characteristic bun, and she had been too angry to bother fixing it.

Who the hell did the Director think he was? It was one thing to push Misaka to her breaking point, that was what the girl had come to them asking for in the first place, but today's experiment had bordered on torture, and Kamui was seething. A part of her realized that if she was reacting like this, then she was getting too attached to the girl. If it had just been that, she might have been able to take a step back and view the situation a little more objectively, but there was more to it.

Taking care of the Railgun after the experiments was supposed to be her job. It was what she had been told would be her primary duty during the experiments, as well as keeping a painstaking record of the young level five's vitals. It was an important duty, and she had been more than happy to accept it. However, she was beginning to suspect she wasn't being allowed to do her job properly, and that infuriated her.

The door to the Director's office was as unassuming as any other in the facility. The door opened with a hiss, and Kamui stormed into the office like a thundercloud. She'd never been particularly good at controlling her temper, and she didn't intend to start now.

The Director didn't even bother to look up as she entered, seemingly absorbed in a document he was reading.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she practically shouted, slamming her hands down on his desk and glaring at the man. He was older than her, but not yet out of his middle age. His face was lined and his black hair had begun to grey at the temples, but his eyes were bright and sharp.

He turned his eyes to her, and Kamui felt some of her rage being sapped away as she fought to keep herself from wilting under his calculating gaze.

"And to what might you be referring, Doctor Kamui," he said at length, setting aside the document he had been examining. Kamui idly noted that it was a printout of the energy readings Misaka had given off during the experiment, and some of her anger returned.

"Misaka-san, what else?" she said. "You had me pulled out of the infirmary before I had a chance to do anything more than give her the most basic of treatment. On top of that, you let Corrin of all people run the experiment tonight. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I have nothing but the utmost confidence in Doctor Corrin's abilities," the Director said with an air of dismissal that only served to fuel the fires of her rage.

"The man is a sociopath, and you essentially put him in charge of a torture session. Why didn't you at least give me the chance to treat her properly? For all we know, she could be dead in an alley somewhere in the city and then all of this would have been for nothing!"

The Director smiled a knowing smile that sent a chill down Kamui's spine. "Rest assured, Misaka Mikoto will be fine. I can personally guarantee that she is not currently in any danger."

It took a moment for his words to sink in, and when they did Kamui bristled. "You're having her watched?"

"Of course," the Director said. "That girl is one of our most valuable assets. I can't simply let her wander around unsupervised."

A sense of unease was beginning to creep into Kamui's chest. "And the treatment?"

The Director sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes, weary of her questions. "You can be quite hopeless sometimes, Doctor. I had hoped you would have figured it out on your own. What, exactly, do you imagine our purpose is in all of this?"

"That's..." Truth be told, she hadn't really put much thought into it. The chance to observe a level five in action was something she had only ever dreamed of, and to be able to do it in such a controlled environment opened all sorts of opportunities. Beyond that, she hadn't really thought about what the Director hoped to achieve. "It's a good chance to... to observe a level five in a controlled, measured environment."

He simply shook his head in disappointment. "Doctor Kamui, I thought you would be able to be a little more imaginative here. If all I wanted was to observe a level five in a test environment, I could have paid the fourth ranked esper to come in; money has always been her weakness. Even number two can be swayed for the right price. On top of that, most of the data we could gain from that kind of observation is available in the Bank already. No, this is different. She came to us, Doctor. Don't you realize what that means?"

Kamui didn't reply. She simply stared at him, filled with a growing sense of dread.

"It means that she's desperate," he said when she remained silent. "It means she needs us, and that is a chance I am not willing to pass up. The mess left by the failure of the level six shift program has tied up some of Academy City's major players, and now we have the Railgun all to ourselves. She needs us to get stronger, or at least, she thinks she does. All to protect her darling little clones." He laughed, a cold derisive laugh that made Kamui shiver. "It's almost pathetic, really, but it works out perfectly for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Level six may be the ideal that everyone in Academy City is striving for, but for all practical purposes, level five is the pinnacle of this city's power. The curriculum development program has only managed to produce seven level fves. Naturally, standing so far above their peers has given these seven especially gifted espers the illusion that they are indestructible, that they can rely on their own power for anything."

A light blinked on the Director's desk and he paused, frowning, before continuing. "However, Misaka-san has been shown time and time again over the last year that the power she wields is not enough. She couldn't save her clones, she couldn't destroy the facilities, she couldn't defeat Accelerator, nor end the experiments on her own. Her faith in her power has been shattered, but she doesn't know what else to do. So, she came to us in the hopes that we could help make her stronger. Her desperation gives us a unique opportunity to observe a level five under duress, an opportunity I don't believe anyone else in the city has had."

Kamui could hardly believe her ears. "You... you pulled me from the infirmary just so she wouldn't receive proper treatment, didn't you?"

"Of course," he replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "A full recovery immediately after the experiment would defeat the purpose."

"But she's just a child!" she screamed, feeling disgusted. "She's not even out of middle school. How can you manipulate her like that?"

"Misaka Mikoto is not a child," the Director said, his voice hard. "She is the third ranked level five in Academy City, an esper created for the sole purpose of advancing our research. She is a test subject, and nothing more. If you can't control your emotional response, then you will be removed from your position. I have tolerated your outburst thus far because you are a gifted physician and an important asset to this facility, but if this continues then I will relieve you of your position here. Do I make myself clear."

She opened her mouth to argue, but something in his tone told her that she should stay silent. Her mouth closed with a click, and she nodded.

"Good," he said, smiling at her and leaning back. "If you'll excuse me then, I have something I must attend to with some urgency. Please try not to worry yourself over Misaka-san. It's not in our best interest for her to get herself killed, after all. She will be fine."

"Of course," Kamui said through pursed lips before spinning and walking out of his office as quickly as she could.

Once back in her examination room, she let out a sigh. She had little doubt the Director would carry out his threat if she persisted in making a scene. The last thing she wanted was to be out of a job, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to look Misaka-san in the eye the next time she saw her. That is, if they even bothered to let her treat her at all.

Her insides squirmed as her guilt clashed against her professionalism and curiosity. As much as she was loath to admit it, the situation the Director had presented did provide a number of unique opportunities. Still, she didn't like it.

The monitor on her console flickered to life as she powered up the computer. She pulled up Misaka-san's file and began reading. If she couldn't help the girl, then the least she could do was see if she could figure out exactly what the Director's intentions for her were.

* * *

"Touma! ToumaToumaToumaaaa!"

"Gah! Index, calm down!"

Kamijou Touma held the receiver away from his ear as his dependant shouted into the phone. His ear was ringing and he thought he might have ruptured the eardrum. Index was bad enough when he was expecting her.

It took her a moment, but his roommate finally seemed to gather herself.

"Where are you?" Touma asked, checking the time. "I expected you to be back by the time I got home. Did you get lost again?"

"No! I mean, yes, but that's your fault! Anyway, I found Short-Hair sleeping on a bench!"

It took Touma a moment to realize who Index was talking about. "Eh? Biribiri? What's she doing sleeping outside? Isn't it past curfew?"

"I don't know," Index replied, and Touma tensed when he recognized the concern in her voice, "I think she might be hurt, she won't wake up no matter how many times I poke her!"

Touma cursed under his breath. Misaka wasn't the kind of girl to get hurt easily. He'd been on the receiving end of her power enough times now to know just how tough she was when she really got going. There were only a few people that he could think of that could actually stand up to her in a fight, and if she'd been fighting them then something had gone terribly wrong.

"Can you tell how hurt she is?"

"Um, well, she wasn't bleeding or anything that I could see, but she wouldn't wake up, and her breathing was a little labored," Index replied, the tension in her voice crystal clear.

"Okay, good," Touma replied, feeling somewhat relieved. As long as she wasn't bleeding to death or anything she would probably be fine. "Do you know where you are? I'll come get you and we can take care of Birbiri then."

"Ahhh..."

Touma sighed as Index trailed off. If she didn't even know where she was there wasn't much he could do to help. He was just about to tell Index to hang up and call for an ambulance when he heard a clamor and Index spoke again.

"We're by the park!" she said, breathing heavily.

"Okay," Touma said, grabbing his keys and slipping on his shoes. "Stay there and keep an eye on her. I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up without waiting for a reply and took off down the stairs, pausing only briefly to make sure the door was locked behind him.

As he ran, he tried to think of a reason Misaka would have wound up asleep and apparently injured on a park bench after curfew. His mind conjured up images of one of the Misaka clones, beaten almost beyond recognition, more blood on the walls and pavement around her than in her body. He forced the image away with grimace. They had put an end to that, and besides, Index had said she didn't look like she was in any immediate danger.

That didn't stop him from running as fast as he could all the way to the park.

* * *

When Mikoto finally awoke, it took her a moment to realize she was lying in a bed. A moment after that she realized there was a cat curled up on her chest, fast asleep.

'I must have been more exhausted than I thought.'

Under normal circumstances, it would have taken a great deal of coaxing to get an animal to approach her. The fact that this one was sleeping so peacefully meant that she had drained herself to such a degree that the electric field that surrounded her at all times had dulled to the point the cat couldn't notice it.

She shifted her arm so she could sit up on her elbow, wincing at the motion, and tried to get an idea of where she was. Gentle, grey light filtered in through a nearby window, and she glanced at a clock glowing on a shelf across the room. It was just past five in the morning. Mikoto couldn't help but shudder. Kuroko was going not going to be happy when she got back to the dorm.

Taking another look around, she realized she was in a dorm room, though certainly not hers. She didn't know whether to be relieved or frightened. On the one hand, it was a good thing she hadn't wound up in the hospital. If she had, the doctors would have been obligated to notify Tokiwadai, and that would have raised a whole slew of questions she didn't want to answer. On the other hand though, that meant that someone had found her, presumably still collapsed on that bench, and decided to bring her back to their dorm. There were only a few reasons anyone would do that.

A quick check confirmed she was still wearing all her clothes, and she let out a sigh of relief, some of the tension easing from her chest. She was sore all over, but it didn't seem like anything had happened while she'd been unconscious.

She heard mumbling from beside the bed, causing her to start. The cat opened its eyes and mewled in annoyance, hopping off her chest and onto the floor, curling up next to a lump hidden under a pile of blankets. Blue hair poked out from beneath the blankets, and Mikoto frowned. That hair looked familiar.

The sound of a sink running drew her away from the strangely familiar form of the girl sleeping on the floor, and Mikoto turned just in time to see an unmistakable head of messy black hair peek around the corner. She made a choking sound, clutching the blankets to her chest as she felt the blood rushing to her face.

"Y-you! W-w-w-what are you doing here?"

He favored her with a slightly bemused expression. "Good to see you're up," he said after a moment, tiptoeing around the sleeping girl and taking a seat at the foot of the bed. Mikoto drew her feet away from him, trying to hide her embarrassment. "As for why I'm here, this happens to be my dorm."

It took the wheels in Mikoto's head a moment to get turning. It felt as though they were encrusted with rust; her brain was simply incapable of processing what he had said. It was reasonable, probable even, given the circumstances, but she was having a hard time processing it.

'I'm in his house I'm in his house I'm in his house I'm in his house...'

"You look a little red there, Biribiri, are you still feeling under the weather?" He moved to touch his hand to her forehead and she shrunk away.

"I'm f-fine!" she said, her heart pounding in her chest. It seemed that even exhausted as she was, his presence was still enough to fluster her. "And for the last time, it's Misaka Mikoto!"

"Right, right," he said with a small grin, holding his hands up in a placating manner. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay, that's all. Index found you passed out on a bench last night. We were worried you might have been hurt. I carried you back here when I got there, since it didn't look like you were in any real danger"

Her face burned at the thought of him worrying about her, and even more than that actually carrying her, but after a moment she was able to get herself under control.

"W-who's Index?"

"Ah, that would be the sleepyhead curled up on the floor there," Touma said, gesturing to the sleeping girl. She mumbled something that sound suspiciously like "Touma" and "feed me" and the black-haired boy's shoulders slumped.

Mikoto finally remembered where she had seen the girl before. She had been there in the underground mall during the terrorist attack months ago, and again she had seen her at the Daihaseisai. A part of her was screaming to ask what the girl was doing in his house, but she forced that thought down. She didn't have the energy for the the direction she thought that conversation might lead.

"Well, I'm fine," she replied at last, not meeting his eyes. "I just got a little tired and thought I'd take a nap, that's all. I must have overslept a little."

The lie sounded pathetic to her ears, and she knew the instant it was out of her mouth there was no way he would buy it.

"You don't really strike me as the type of girl to take naps out on the street," he said. "I know you're a level five and all that, but sleeping out in public like that still doesn't sound like such a great idea. Are you sure those burns and bruises you've got on your arms and legs don't have anything to do with it?"

Mikoto averted her gaze, but didn't speak.

"Thought so," Touma said with a heavy sigh, running his hand through his unkempt hair. He shifted so he was sitting cross legged on the bed, and Mikoto noticed for the first time that he had a small first aid kit with him. He opened it, removing a small bottle of antiseptic and a roll of bandages.

"Can you sit up?"

"I can take care of myself," Mikoto snapped, trying to ignore the fact that she sounded like a petulant child. Part of her was thrilled at the idea of letting him take care of her, while another, louder part, refused to accept it.

"Trust me, I know, but I'd like to get your burns treated or they might get infected," he said, dabbing a cloth to the bottle. "If that happens, you might actually have to go to the hospital."

Mikoto flinched at the thought, and she could feel Touma's eyes on her as she did. After a moment of silence, she relented, offering her arms to him. He took her arm gently in his hands, muttering a warning before he applied the antiseptic. Mikoto tensed at the stinging sensation, but made no sound.

She had intended to apply bandages to her fresh injuries once she had arrived back at the dorm. Doctor Kamui had been called away after she had done a cursory inspection, apologizing to Mikoto and rushing off to take care of who-knows-what.

Of all the people that worked at that facility, she was the only one Mikoto could actually say she liked, but there was something about the woman that seemed a little off. Mikoto couldn't help but feel that she seemed distracted much of the time. She was always kind, and seemed genuinely concerned for Mikoto's well-being, but she always seemed as though she was expecting bad news at any moment.

"Don't suppose you feel like sharing how you got all beat up this time, eh, Biribiri?" Touma said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"It's... none of your business," Mikoto replied, hanging her head and letting her bangs hide her face.

"I thought you'd probably say that," Touma said with a sigh. "It's not a bad thing to rely on other people once in a while though, you know? Your friends care about you, and I'm sure they don't want to see you get hurt. What would Shirai-san say if she had been the one to find you passed out on the street?"

Mikoto said nothing. That wasn't something she wanted to think about, though a nagging voice in the back of her mind pointed out that she was just avoiding the problem. What would have happened if that girl hadn't found her? Academy City was reasonably safe, or as reasonably as it could be considering it was populated by super-powered children, but it still wasn't a good idea for a young woman to go sleeping outside. Kuroko would be horrified if she knew, as would her other friends. The thought of the looks on their faces if something had happened to her made her chest seize up and her heart skip a beat.

Strong, gentle hands brushed against her skin as Touma applied the bandages, and Mikoto had to fight to keep herself from pulling away. She could feel her cheeks burning at the contact, and was grateful he seemed too focused on her arms to notice her blushing.

He was always doing this, coming to her rescue, even without her needing to say a thing. He had saved her from an impossible situation once before, and had helped her on more than one occasion since.

'Why?' she asked herself, guilt rising in her chest. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. 'Why do you keep helping me? I've never been able to be any help to you, so what makes you rush to my rescue again and again?'

It didn't make any sense to her, and her guilt only grew. But in addition to that, Mikoto felt a deep sense of shame. Despite her best efforts, despite everything she was putting herself through to help her sisters, it wasn't enough. He had done more for them than she ever could. He had saved them from that nightmare when the only solution she had been able to see was to offer up her own life and hope it was good enough. He was their saviour, not her.

"There," he said at last, leaning back and wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "That should do for now. You have a few more that should get attention, but the ones on your arms were the worst, and I uh, didn't want to get too intimate."

Mikoto was hardly listening, instead looking at the bandages he had wrapped around the burns on her arms. She could still remember the smell of her skin burning and the painful prickling as the skin began to crack and peel. The memory made her shiver, but it didn't hurt now. He had done a good job.

"How do you do it?"

Touma blinked, tilting his head. "Eh, do what?"

"You always manage to save everyone." Mikoto's eyes were hidden behind her bangs. She didn't trust herself not to break down if he could see her face. "I tried so hard to save them, but it wasn't good enough. They just kept dying. I had prepared myself to die, and then you came along and just solved everything."

Mikoto had to take a few deep breaths before continuing.

"Her too, right?" she said, gesturing towards the sleeping form of Index. "She said you saved her life. I bet she didn't have to ask you, did she? And then there was that time with the terrorist in the underground mall, and who knows how many other incidents. You always seem to be able to save everyone, while I can't do a thing. So I'm asking you, how do you do it?"

Touma was silent for a long moment, watching Mikoto's trembling form. He hadn't seen her like this since that time on the bridge.

"Who knows?" he said at last. "Most of the time, I think I just get lucky. Other times, it's because I can rely on the people around me to carry the slack when I mess it up. I never would have been able to win most of my fights without help."

Mikoto clenched her hands into fists. He made it sound so easy.

"In the end, I guess it really just comes down to the fact that I'd rather suffer myself than see any of my friends get hurt," he said, offering Mikoto a small smile. "So if you're in trouble again, don't think you have to handle it all by yourself."

That brought a small smile to Mikoto's face. "You sound just like my friends."

"Really? Well, I would like to consider myself one of your friends too, so I guess it only makes sense," Touma said, leaning back on his hands. "I can tell you're getting yourself involved in something again, but if you don't want to tell me what it is then I'm not going to pry."

"This, coming from the guy who went sneaking around in my room and digging through my stuff the last time he thought I was in trouble?"

"Ah, well, that was... a little bit different," Touma said, backing away ever so slightly.

"Sure," Mikoto said with a mock glare. "Well, you did help me out that time, so I guess I can forgive you."

Touma chuckled, careful to keep his voice down. "Well, that's a relief. I certainly don't need you angry at me."

They shared a moment of comfortable silence. Outside, the sun was beginning to poke its face above the gleaming skyline, bringing with it all the sights and sounds of a city waking up.

"Your sisters," Touma said after a few minutes of silence, his voice serious, "are they in trouble again?"

Mikoto stiffened, her hands curling into fists. She had to force herself to relax before she could reply. "No. They're fine, at least as far as I know. I don't see them all that often anyway, but I haven't heard anything, so they must be doing alright."

Touma frowned. "Then what's this all about? I know I said I wasn't going to pry, but I am worried, you know? It's hard to imagine what else could get you in this state." He gestured towards Mikoto's bandaged arms and she pulled back, wrapping them around herself.

"Those girls... they call me "Onee-sama" right? Like I'm some sort of figure they can look up to," she gave a derisive snort. "Even still, I wasn't able to protect them. Every time they get in trouble, I have to rely on someone else to save them. I'm ranked third of all the espers in Academy City, but it's not good enough. I'm not good enough, strong enough. I need to be stronger, otherwise this will keep happening. People will keep trying to take advantage of them just because of what they are. I can't keep letting it happen."

Mikoto didn't know why she was saying all this. Maybe it was because he already knew about the Sisters, maybe it was because she thought he deserved to know, or maybe it was simply because she trusted him. Whatever the case, now that she had started talking, she couldn't stop.

"Before, they just accepted that their fate was to die. Like that was something totally normal. I thought once the experiments were done they would be able to live normal lives. That doctor told me he could work on fixing the damage that was done to them, make them more normal."

Touma stayed silent while Mikoto spoke, not wanting to interrupt her. She was silent for a long moment before she spoke again.

"I just want them to have that," Mikoto said at last. "I want them to be able to rely on me, like a real big sister."

On the floor, Index shifted, pulling the blanket over her head and startling Sphynx out of his slumber. Touma watched, transfixed, as Mikoto wiped a tear from her eye. It had been a long time since he had seen her cry. His expression melted into a smile, and he reached out and tousled her hair.

"H-hey!" Mikoto said with a start, shrinking back from the touch. "W-what are you doing?"

"Don't worry so much. Those girls, I'm sure they know they can count on you for anything. They worry about you too, and I know they don't hold what they've been through against you, no matter what you might think. If you ask me, they couldn't have asked for a better big sister than you."

Mikoto stared wide-eyed, heat rising in her cheeks.

"I...idiot."

* * *

In general, mornings and Ruiko did not see eye to eye. Mornings tended to be bright and beautiful, full of vibrance and energy. Ruiko, meanwhile, enjoyed sleep. Given the choice, she would sleep through every beautiful sunrise, shutting out the sunlight and birdsong and smashing her alarm clock into a million indistinguishable pieces.

Unfortunately, it wasn't up to her.

Ruiko yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she walked down the early morning streets of Academy City on her way to Uiharu's dorm. The previous night's trip to the hospital had been a bust. She should have known they would arrive long after visiting hours were over, but in her enthusiasm she hadn't even thought about it. She'd been ready to try to sneak into the girl's room, but Uiharu had been firmly against it.

That was probably for the best though, if Ruiko really thought about it. She didn't really want to disturb an injured person's sleep, after all. She'd just been so excited by the prospect of finding out what was wrong with Misaka-san that she had gotten a little bit of tunnel vision. Certainly not the first time that had happened, though she liked to tell herself that it was a necessary quality for someone that spent so much time urban legend hunting.

The air was just beginning to warm as the sun settled into its path high overhead. The bright rays on her skin sent a pleasant warmth flooding through her body, and Ruiko smiled. Normally, she didn't like to get up early on the weekends, but she had suggested to Uiharu they should continue their sleuthing first thing in the morning, and her friend had been quick to agree. On top of that, Uiharu had sent her a message earlier in the morning that Shirai-san planned on trying to convince Misaka-san to join them for a get together on Sunday. All in all, she was in high spirits.

Her smile changed to a look of confusion when she spotted a familiar form standing walking out of a nearby dormitory. She stopped walking, simply staring for a moment as her mind worked to process what she was seeing. It took her a moment to realize who it was. When she did, she almost gasped.

'That's Misaka-san! I almost didn't recognize her without her uniform!'

Indeed, without her usual Tokiwadai school uniform, it had taken Ruiko a moment to match her friend's features with the mental image she held of her. She'd never seen Misaka-san wear anything other than her school uniform. It was a little strange, but now that she knew who she was, it was hard to believe she had almost not recognized her.

Just as Ruiko raised her hand in greeting, preparing to call out to her friend, another voice called out, and a boy with spiky black hair wearing a uniform she didn't recognize appeared from a nearby stairwell.

"Hey, Biribiri, wait up."

Ruiko didn't hear the rest of the exchange. she was frozen in place, eyes wide.

'Did... did he just call Misaka-san... Biribiri?'

The pair exchanged a few more words, and when Misaka-san's cheeks tinged pink and she rubbed at her arm, looking down at the ground in what Ruiko was certain was the most adorable display of embarrassment she had ever seen, she thought she was going to faint.

Several minutes passed before Ruiko was able to form a coherent thought again, minutes she spent rooted to the concrete of the sidewalk with an expression of disbelief plastered across her face. When she came to, she found that both Misaka-san and the mysterious boy she had been talking to had disappeared.

Slowly, she resumed walking, doing her best to process what she had just scene. Misaka-san, coming out of a dormitory, that was most certainly not her own, early in the morning. Misaka-san, wearing clothes that Ruiko had never seen her wear before. Misaka-san, talking to a boy!

Ruiko had spent a lot of time teasing Shirai-san about the possibility of Misaka-san having a boyfriend. She was at that age, after all, and she was both pretty and talented. Surely she had a lot of potential suitors. But Ruiko had never really thought Misaka-san actually had a secret boyfriend, let alone one that she was sneaking off to meet with, one that called her by pet names even!

Resisting the immediate urge to grab her phone and call Uiharu was almost painful. The big, goofy grin, that had spread across her face the moment she realized she had caught a glimpse of Misaka-san talking to her boyfriend of all things, was starting to make her cheeks hurt, but Ruiko paid it no mind. She wanted desperately to tell someone, Uiharu or Shirai-san or even Akemi or Mako. The monumental nature of the event she had just witnessed made her feel as though she would explode if she kept it in.

But Misaka-san hadn't told them about him, hadn't told anyone about him as far as she knew, and that was a sobering thought. She had to have a good reason for not telling them. Maybe she was embarrassed, or maybe she didn't think they would get along. Of course, there was also the chance she just didn't want to have to deal with Shirai-san's reaction. Ruiko couldn't help but wince at the thought of the scene that particular revelation would cause.

Still, it didn't sit right with her. She wasn't going to go and spread Misaka-san's secret if she wanted to keep it a secret, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to have a few questions for her friend the next time she saw her.

"Misaka-san, you've got some explaining to do," Ruiko sang with a cheshire grin.

* * *

A/N: First of all, a huge thanks to everyone that reviewed after the last chapter. I was very surprised by the amount of positive feedback, and I'm glad to see people generally think I'm doing a good job. Please, keep reviewing! It makes me happy.

This chapter is out a bit faster than usual, though not as fast as I thought. The first scene wasn't very fun to write, and that was the part I needed to work on. The rest of the chapter was written with the last one, so that didn't take as much time. Still, I can be pretty lazy, so it took a bit.

As for how the chapter came out, I have mixed feelings. I think the dialogue sections turned out well enough, at least. I still feel a little icky about the opening scene, since it's sort of an info dump, but I couldn't think of many good ways to do it without having that kind of scene. Still, I think it turned out alright, all things considered.

The scene with Mikoto and Touma was something I knew I needed to do for the story, but really didn't want to write. I wanted to try to avoid seeming too serious, but when those two get together and have a serious conversation, it's gonna get a little sappy. I just think it's in their characters for it to end up that way, but it doesn't make it much easier to write.

Thanks again for reading, I really appreciate all the support!


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